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DRS. T. ANDERSON AND J. S. FLETT ON THE ERUPTIONS OF THE 
ill a heavy mist. The diist which began to fall on the previous afternoon had continued throughout the 
night, and at daybreak was perceived to lie full half an inch thick on the surface of the ground and on 
the roofs of houses. The city buildings generally looked dingy, and the general aspect was cheerless and 
depressing. Gangs of labourers from the city roads and Sanitary Department, under the direction of the 
Departmental Inspector, and supplied with brooms, shovels, and hand-barrows, were set to work to clean 
up the streets from an early hour. The dust collected by them was piled in heaps along the roadside and 
carted away by the scavengers’ carts. To ensure as thorough cleansing as possible, hose attached to the 
hydrants of the water department was employed for washing the surface of the roads and for flushing 
gutters and drains. But dust continued ta be l)lown from off the roofs of buildings, where it had lodged, 
and proved a nuisance throughout the day. Various forms of shades were used for protecting the eyes 
from the dust, some persons using coloured glasses and others using veils. It was a funny sight to see grave 
city men wearing the sun veils commonly used by ladies. But the object aimed at was the protection 
of the visual and nasal organs against the inrush of dust, and this the veil did effectually.” 
Oscillations in the level of the sea were noted in Barbados and Bequia, and St. 
Lucia. The ‘ Barbados Advocate ’ of May 8 contains the following :— 
“ There was an unusual spring tide yesterday about 3.45 p.m., the Constitution River nearly submerging 
the reclaimed land known as ‘ Fort Royal.’ After the subsidence of the water, washerwomen were seen 
running in all directions in search of the clothes which they had spread out in the early morning to be 
bleached by the sun. Persons of 40 years’ standing said they had never before seen such a tide.” 
John K. Kirkiiam, Harbour Master at Barbados, sends us the following note of 
observations made by Mr. Ashby, the Government diver :— 
“ At 3.10 P.M. the water suddenly rose 2‘5 feet in two minutes, and as rapidly fell after one minute; 
about three minutes later it rose 1 ‘25 feet in three minutes and as rapidly fell, then rose about O'S foot in 
two minutes, and as rapidly fell. The water rose and fell three times in 15 minutes, the rise each time 
being about one-half what it was before. It was spring tide here that day.” 
A 
From Barbados also we obtain some interesting facts regarding the changes of 
barometric pressure which accompanied the outburst of tlie great black cloud. The 
Bev. N. B. Watson, of St. Martin’s Vicarage, in the parish of St. Phillips, sends us a 
very interesting barograpbic tracing, which shows repeated oscillations of the recording 
pen attached to the instrument between 1.30 and 6.30 p.m. of that afternoon, and 
Mr. O’Donnell, of the American Weather Bureau, states that, on May 7, “ a sudden 
jar occurred in the barograph record at the time of the explosion.” 
Here also we may mention that in St. Vincent similar rapid changes in barometric 
pressure were noticed by at least one observer, Mr. Effingham Dun, of Owia. He 
writes as follows :—“ On May 7 the barometer (mercuiial), which had been steady at 
29'85, rose within three minutes to 30'12, when it again fell slowly to 29'82, and 
remained steady at that throughout the night. This is the only change 1 observed, 
though I paid great attention to the barometer.” 
Considerable air-waves appear, in fact, to have been generated by evervone 
of the greater eruptions, both of the Soufriei'e and Montague Pelee. Kapid lise and 
fall of the barometric column have lieen noted in Martinique to accompanv 
several ol the eruptions there. The outburst at Pelee on the 9th July pinduced 
